Atmospheric relief-valve.



P. S. BROADHURST & L. L. PRATT.

ATMOSPHERIC RELIEF VALVE.

APPLICATION FILED QGT. 9, 1912.

Patented June 9, 1914.

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P. S. BROADHURST & L. L. PRATT.

ATMOSPHERIC RELIEF VALVE.

APPLICATION FILED OUT. 9, 1912.

Patented June 9, 1914.

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TED STATES BALTENT OFFICE.

FRANK S. BROADHURST AND LOUIS L. PRATT, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A$SIGNORS TO 0. H. JVHEELER MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF FENNS'YLVANIA.

ATMOSPHERIC RELIEF-VALVE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 9, 191.4.

Application filed. October 9, 1912. Serial No. m l-F01.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, FRANK S. BROAD HURST and Louis L. PRATT, subject of the King of Great Britain and citizen of the United States, respectively, residing in Philadelphia, county of Philadelphia, and State oi Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in rlrtmospheric telief-Valves, of which the following is a tion resulting in a rise in pressure or back pressure in such exhaust connect-ion, or any other relation.

It is the further object of our invention to provide a valve of the character referred to which shall operate without dash pots which have been, we believe, on all of the commercially used types of relief valves, whether of single disk type or the multiple disk type which are nevertheless noisy in operation and which rapidly wear.

A further objectof our invention is to provide a construction of a valve of the character described in which the individual valves are associated with a deck intervening between atmosphere or space at ditl'ercnt pressure and condenser or vacuum connections which are otlset with respect to each other, allowing great latitude with regard to the location of the individual valves, and securing other beneficial results.

A further object of our invent-ion is to provide a construction of the individual valves whereby a sensitive easily flexible valve shall be provided to respond to small differences of pressure on opposite sides of the valve and whereby, notwithstanding such flexibility and sensitiveness the valve proper shall tit its seat so snugly that there is economy in consumption of sealing water and in addition the prevention of flow of excess sealing water through the valve into the space from which the steam or other low pressure fluid is to escape through the valve.

Our invention resides in the features of construction and application hereinafter described and claimed.

For an illustration of some of the forms our invention may take rel-Terence is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of one form of our invention. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the valve deck and valves and associated vacuum or condenser connection. Fig. 3 is a. longitudinal cross section through a valve as illustrated in Fig. 1. Fig. t is a perspective View of one of the valve spindles or shafts. 5 is a perspective view of a valve spindle crank. Fig. 6 is a per spective view of a portion of the mechanism for operating all the valves.

Referring to Fig. 1, the connection to condenser, vacuum, or exhaust connection between turbine, engine or the like, and condenser is shown at 1, in this case, for example, a cylindrical pipe having the flange 2 for bolting to a similar flange or the like of a pipe communicating with the vacuum condenser, or exhaust connection. The atmospheric connection, or connection to space at different pressure or means for communicating with the outer atmosphere is shown at 3 as a similar pipe having flange .L for bolting to asimilar flange of a pipe extending to atmosphere or space at ditl'erent pressure. The pipe connection members or branches 1 and 3 are not in alinement, but are preferably though not necessarily olfset with respect to each other and with respect to the valve deck 5 located between them and secured by bolts 6 to the flange 7 preferably cast integral with the member 1. And preferably cast integral with the member 3 is the member 8 having the flange 9 secured by bolts 10 to the flange 7 of the member 1. The chamber 8 has the removable cover 11 secured by bolts 12, the removal of the cover 11 uncovering an opening allowing access to the valves.

It will be noted that the valve deck 5, secured to the member 1, is preferably inclosed Within the chamber 8, as indicated in Fig. 3. In the example illustrated the valve deck 5 is provided with six valve seats 1t inclined with respect to the deck and each covered by a rigid separate valve plate 15 faced and ground to seat 14: and

held by bolts 16 to the phosphor bronze or other suitable spring 17 coiled at 18 about the valve spindle 19, wholly within the casing, having the longitudinal slit 20 in which the inner end of the spring 17 engages and is secured. In the example shown there are three valve spindles 19, each cooperating with two valves. The spindles 19 have bearings in lugs 21 preferably carried by the deck 5. Secured upon each spindle 19 is a crank 22 and to the outer ends of these cranks is pivoted a bar 23, to cause these cranks and their attached spindles to move in unison with each other. One of these cranks, as 22, Fig. 5, is provided with a socket 24: adapted to receive the lug 25 on the shaft 26, Fig. 6, which latter extends from within the casing 8 to the exterior thereof and on its outer end is secured the handlever 27 having the hand clamp 28 extending through a slot 29 in the are shaped member 3, the clam 28 serving to clamp the handle 27 in any desired position to which it may be moved, its movement communicating movement through shaft 26 to the associated crank 22 and through it to its spindle 19 and through the bar 22 and the other cranks to the remaining spindles l9. Angular movement of the handle 27 rotates all the spindles 19 to either adjust the tensions of the springs 17, or to lift all the valves entirely clear from their seats 14-. Normally the springs 17 are adjusted to press the separate valve plates 15 against their seats 1a, so that the valves are biased to a degree against opening.

Communicatingwith the interior of the chamber 8 is a pipe 31 provided with a valve 32 admitting water or the like into the chamber 8 to provide a water seal for all the valves. The water rises to the level of the outlet pipe 33, Fig. l, and overflows into the funnel 3-1 to which a waste pipe may be connected at 35. The valve 32 is opened only far enough to allow a flow of water into the chamber 8 suiiicient to cause only a slight overflow through pipe 33, the overflow being visible a it drops from pip-e 33 into funnel 34:. Between the member 1 and the chamber 8 is a wall or web ordain 36 disposed at a level somewhat higher than the level of the outlet pipe 33 The height of the pipe 33 is so determined that there will be within the chamber 8 a body of water submerging all the valves at least to a point slightly higher than the highest point of any of the seats 14. This produces, as stated, a water seal for all the valves insuring their remaining tight in service where the atmosphere or space at difi'erent pressure eX- erts a pressure upon the tops of the valves. By the arrangement shown the sealing water, rises to the same height with respect to all the valves, giving an equal head over all the valves. And we believe we are the first to apply a water seal to valves of the type here disclosed, that is, in a relation where the valves are required to operate in conjunction with low pressure steam to allow the escape thereof to outer atmosphere or space at dillerent pressure, a vacuum or lower pressure normally existing on the under side of the valves.

In case of improper operation of the condenser or in case of any other condition arising which Wlll reduce the vacuum and increase the pressure on the exhaust side of a turbine, engine, or the like, such increased pressure, though 7967 so a low pressure, will actuate the valves in opposition to their springs and allow escape of the steam or other low pressure fluid directly to atmosphere or other space through the valves, chamber 8 and connection \Ve are aware that in atmospheric'relief valves a plurality of valve units have been provided, of a disk type or multiple disk type. lVe believe that in such cases the valves have been controlled whenever used in practice by dash pots and that even then they have been noisy in operation and subject to rapid wear of the valve seats. By the employment of the type of valve herein described,- however, the operation is certain, sensitive, and noiseless, without recourse to dash pots or the like.

It is to be understood that the valve deck 5 need not be horizontal, as illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, but that the same may be inclined or even vertical.

It will be noted that the valve deck 5 has been made substantially square; it may be square but in any event is preferably rec tangular so that all the valve spindles 19 will be of the same length, which they would not otherwise be if the individual valves were distributed in such fashion as to conform to a circular or other shape of deck in which case the valve spindles 19 would be of different lengths and therefore introduce greater expense in cost of manufacture and difficulty and confusion in supplying spare or repair parts.

While we have referred to our valve as intervening between a vacuum and atmosphere it is to be understood that it may be employed inother relations where it is to respond to relatively small differences in pressure on opposite sides of the valve.

hat we claim is:

1. A valve mechanism responsive to small pressure differences comprising an inclosed substantially horizontal valve deck,- fluid connect-ions on opposite sides of said deck, a plurality of individual independently operable valves on said deck, a web common to all said valves intervening between said deck and the opening of one of said fluid connections, and means for supplying sealing liquid to said valves over said deck, said web preventing flow of sealing fluid into said fluid connection.

2. A relief valve structure comprising fluid connections oti'set with respect to each other, a casing member integral with one of said connections, a dividing wall common to said. connection and said casing, said wall having an aperture fonning connnunication between said connection and said casing, a valve deck intervening between said casing and the other of said connections, and valve adjusting means extending through a side wall of said casing.

3. A relief valve structure comprising fluid connections offset with respect to each other, a casing member integral with one of said connections, a dividing wall common to said connection and said casing, said wall having an aperture forming communication between said connection and said casing, a valve deck intervening between said casing and the other of said connections, and a removable wall for said casing inclined with respect to said valve deck.

4. The combination with fluid conducting connections, of a valve deck intervening between said connections, a plurality of valve seats on said deck, a rigid valve plate adapted to snugly fit each valve seat, valve spindles, and a spring separate and distinct from said valve plate attached to said valve plate and coiled about and attached to one of said spindles, said valve deck being substantially rectangular and said spindles all of substantially the same length.

5. The combination with fluid conducting connections, of a valve chamber intervening between said connections, a valve deck housed completely within said chamber, a plurality of valve seats on said deck, a valve cooperating with each valve seat, said fluid conducting connections being oil'set with respect to each other, said chamber having a removable wall inclined with respect tosaid valve deck.

6. The combination with fluid conducting connections, of a valve chamber intervening between said connections, a valve deck housed completely within said chamber, a plurality of valve seats on said deck, a valve cooperating with each valve seat, spindles for said valves disposed substantially parallel with said valve deck, means housed within said chamber connecting said spindles together, and means extending to the exterior for operating said spindles in unison.

7. The combination with fluid conducting connections, of a valve chamber intervening between said connections, a valve deck housed completely within said chamber, a plurality of valve seats on said deck, a valve cooperating with each valve seat, means for water sealing said valves, and a web intervening between one of said connections and said chamber preventing entry of said sealing water into said connection.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto affixed our signatures in the presence of the two subscribing witnesses.

FRANK S. BROADHURST. LOUIS L. PRATT. lVitnesses HARRY N. CARTER, Ron'r. J. SIMMERS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

